Good Morning my friends. I hope everyone had a great weekend. To get the week kicked off on the positive, this is the Workout of the Week, from Good AttitudeFood.com. This is The Moutain Bike Trails Workout!
So one thing I learned this week: mountain biking is freaking fun. Like really fun. I should have started doing it at 26 instead of 36. Never too late unless you’re dead! Either way, Mountain biking is a lot of fun!
It’s Also (just a little) Scary.
It’s also a little scary.
… which is good for me to do. Expanding my comfort zone.
I have been “risk-averse” for most of my life. It might be a good new life-rule for me to adopt or something: Every once in a while, do something that scares you (even if it’s only a little).
Wipe Out
Mountain biking scares me, a little. But, not a lot. I have wiped out three times now. I bought a helmet after the first wipeout, which was the worst one so far. Nothing more than a scraped elbow, bruise on my leg, two nicked up shins (which also comes from discing – Disc Golf – and wearing shorts, and not being all that accurate at times with a throw – walking through the tall grass, searching for discs … 🙂 #disclife).
MN has some great bike trails!
I found two great mountain biking trails and the Luce Line Trail is great for a more casual ride.
MN River Bottoms:
Saturday morning I decided to go to the Minnesota River Bottoms Mountain Bike trails. I got there at 9:00 AM and left at “noon-30-ish”. Aside from the “LIKE-MILE-LONG…” steep hill that I found myself on, it as an awesome ride. I got halfway up that hill and was out of gas; was not expecting the hill to be that long and burned through my power early. I might turn that hill into a new goal.
CLIMB THAT HILL. I spoke it, I guess it’s real now. My new muse is a steep gravel hill on a bike trail. HAHA.
That was actually my first trail ride ever on a mountain bike trail. It was a good starter. It gave me confidence. The ride was fun, except for downed trees. The mix of sand, gravel, and single-track dirt was challenging but made it fun.
I was listening to Metallica the whole time. Zoned in.
Theo Wirth – Area 36
Sunday I went to Theodore Wirth Park. I had planned to just ride the parkway and chill a bit. But, that’s not how I do things anymore! I decided to ride the mountain bike trail.
This trail was significantly harder than the River Bottoms trail. If I had not done the River Bottoms trail, I would have been over my head in a couple of spots. I did get off and walk one spot – yikes. I also gained a good deal of confidence my second lap and even got some air on the ski hills (on purpose)!
Here is a cool video I found of Area 36:
After the trail, I took a quick break and then rode up and down Theo Wirth Parkway, I am not sure if this is part of the Luce Line or a different trail but it’s a super nice riding area. Sunday was almost the perfect summer afternoon and evening.
One of those days you wish wouldn’t end.
But as I am writing this, the sun has set on this perfect summer day…
On To The Good Stuff
Last week I gave out one of my weight loss success tools. The Workout Schedule. One of the most effective tools a person can use achieve fitness goals.
To keep on that theme, another important tool that helped me lose weight was to have is keeping a food journal.
Keeping a Food Journal
Start writing down everything you for every meal and every snack. Do it every day for a week to try it. Write down everything you eat and drink. Maybe track the calories you are eating too if you want to take it to the next level.
I tell you I did not know how much I ate before I kept a food journal. It forced me to really look at what I was eating, how much I was eating, and the sources of my food.
Macro-Nutrients
Protein = 4 calories per gram
Carbs = 4 calories per gram
Fats = 9 calories per gram
Knowing these numbers, and how many calories of each macro you intake is a good method to know how much a person should exercise to burn what they ate.
Calories in, Calories out
I do not agree that all calories are the same. However, a general rule for weightloss that holds true, for the most part, is if you expend more calories than you intake, you should lose weight.
For every gram of carbs and protein, 4 calories. For every of gram fat, 9 calories.
Keeping a food journal (with calorie counts of your macro intake) and an exercise schedule are both great tools to help anyone get started losing weight! TRY IT!
No Music Section
I just haven’t had time to seek a music section. I would put Metallica on here, but there was the whole Napster thing… Not going there. Metallica is great to listen to while mountain biking though. They are also the two best concerts I have ever been to. 8/20/16 at US Bank Stadium was the best live show I have ever been to.
The Food
The food this week is a quick easy “hybrid” meal. Potatoes, onion, tomatoes, bell peppers, and eggs… with Prime Rib! I call this meal, the Prime Rib Breakfast Skillet. Yes, I had breakfast for supper today.
I love beef prime rib. The grocery store sells it every week. I like to stop in on Sundays about once a month and get a few slices. The grocery store sells it cheaper than any restaurant I have found and the taste is just as good.
This is why I call it a hybrid meal – the grocery store does the hard cooking for me – the Prime Rib. I just have to cook up the veggies and the eggs. #EasyButtonMeals
Meal Prep
- Wash all the veggies
- cut the potatoes into cubes (or close to cubes)
- add about 1/2 a tablespoon of ghee to a pan
- start cooking the potatoes on a low to medium heat
- mince half an onion and add it to the potatoes.
- make sure to “flip” the pan every few minutes
- While the potatoes are cooking I chop up bell peppers and tomatoes
- When the potatoes are almost done, add the pepper and tomatoes
- then crack a few eggs into the pan
- Cook until the eggs are done
- top it with some cheese
- maybe a little hot sauce or green salsa as a finisher
- Plop that it a bowl and enjoy the food. 🙂
BOOM! There you have it. The Prime Rib Breakfast Skillet.
The Workout
Bike Rides
I will be getting in AM bike rides on Tuesday and Thursday this week before work. Also will get out and hit one of the MTB trail areas on at least one of the afternoons this week, maybe more.
DDPY Fat Burner Video
I will be getting in this DDPY Fat Burner video before work on Mon, Wed, and Friday mornings. This is a great video and DDPY is an awesome program for anything from beginner to advance. You can modify the moves as needed to fit your level of workout. Great for the back, for the shoulders during disc season, and this one is great for, you guessed it, fat burning. “Your heart rate is JACKED BRO!” – DDP
7K Steps on 4 days or more
I will also be trying to get 7,000 steps in on at least four days this week. 7K steps any way I can get them. Disc Golf counts, walking in the grocery store counts. I like to park in the farthest parking spots I can find in any lot, those steps all count too. 7K, anyway I can get there!
That’s it This Week
That’s all I have this week kids! Thank you so much for reading! Thanks to the content providers. If you live in MN you live in an amazing place to bike this time of the year. I am glad I am finally taking advantage of this amazingness that I have been missing out on.
Be happy and healthy, my friends! Be the hero in your life’s story. Every once in a while, maybe do something that scares you (even if it’s just a little!).
please excuse any editing errors on this post. I started writing this on Sunday night around 8pm. I fell asleep somewhere around 10 and am finishing it Monday morning before going to work. Editing might come later, if I feel like it! 🙂
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